Paul Downton ended a torrid 14-month tenure as managing director of England cricket when he was sacked on this day in 2015.
The former Test wicketkeeper was judged to have the right mix of on-field experience and business savvy from his time in the city, but was overwhelmed by events during his turbulent reign.
Taking over from Hugh Morris, he picked up the aftermath of the brutal 2013/14 Ashes whitewash and immediately took ownership of the decision to ex-communicate star batter Kevin Pietersen, whose own relationship with the squad had fallen into disrepair.
The ECB was later forced to apologise for breaching a settlement agreement with Pietersen following comments made by Downton to BBC’s Test Match Special.
Downton’s judgement was questioned when he reappointed Peter Moores for a second stint in charge of the team despite his previous failure in the role, hailing him as the “best coach of his generation” and “the future of English cricket”.
Although Moores narrowly outlasted him, a dire performance at the 2015 World Cup reflected badly on both men.
New ECB chief executive Tom Harrison made the call to oust Downton while the Test team were on tour in the West Indies, declaring: “Paul is a man of great integrity. Today has been a very tough day for the ECB and we’ve made a tough decision on a highly respected member of staff.
“Today is about the future of cricket. Today is about where this organisation is set to go over the next four to five years.”
The brief for Downton’s job was tightened and rebranded, attracting a more current figure in the shape of recent Test captain Andrew Strauss. With a renewed emphasis on elite performance, he replaced Moores with Trevor Bayliss and set the groundwork for England’s World Cup triumph in 2019.
Downton’s career in administration would get a second chapter, though, returning as director of cricket at his former county, Kent.
His time at Canterbury proved more productive, overseeing promotion to Division One of the County Championship in his first year and subsequent titles in the T20 and 50-over formats. He retired at the end of the 2023 campaign amid plentiful praise for his work.
Volcanoes secure second win of the season with 98-run DLS method victory over CCC
The Windward Islands Volcanoes got their second positive result in this year’s CG United Super50 Cup alive with a 98-run DLS method win over the Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Wednesday.
In a match reduced to 44 overs per side, the Windwards produced an excellent batting effort after being inserted by the CCC.
The 2018 champions produced a score of 307-7 in their 44 overs thanks to half centuries from Alick Athanaze, captain Sunil Ambris and Kavem Hodge.
Athanaze led the way with 77 off 75 balls including 12 fours and a six. Ambris made a 63-ball 70 including eight fours while Hodge made an even 50 off 47 balls including five fours.
West Indies Under-19 captain Stephan Pascal also chipped in with 41 as Amari Goodridge and Romario Greaves each took two wickets.
Set a revised target of 312 off their 44 overs, the CCC could only muster up 213 in 36.3 overs before being bowled out.
Jonathan Drakes led the way with 55 off 68 balls against Shadrack Descarte who bowled with skill on his way to figures of 4-43 from 6.3 overs of medium pace.
Darius Martin and Kenneth Dember provided good support with two wickets, each.
Full Scores:
Windward Islands Volcanoes 307-7 off 44 overs (Alick Athanaze 77, Sunil Ambris 70, Kavem Hodge 50, Stephan Pascal 44, Amari Goodridge 2-43, Romario Greaves 2-68
Combined Campuses and Colleges 213 off 36.3 overs (Jonathan Drakes 55, Johann Jeremiah 29, Shadrack Descarte 4-43, Darius Martin 2-33, Kenneth Dember 2-33.
Maxwell leads Australia to opening T20I victory
Glenn Maxwell's impressive 43 powered Australia to a 29-run victory over Pakistan in their opening T20I, which was heavily affected by rain.
Both teams were able to play seven overs each after a thunderstorm in Brisbane delayed proceedings, but it did not affect Australia's performance as they took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Matt Short (7) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (9) were both taken early, but Maxwell's 43 off 19 balls, which included eight boundaries, turned the tide.
Abbas Afridi (2-9) took him and Tim David (10), but with Marcus Stoinis' 21, the damage was already done as Australia finished 93-4.
Pakistan struggled to gain any momentum, with none of their first six batters hitting double figures and Sahibzada Farhan's eight was the best of that group.
The wickets toppled thanks to Xavier Bartlett (3-13) and Nathan Ellis (3-9), and even though Afridi salvaged some pride with his unbeaten 20 to help them reach 64-9, they fell short of their target.
Data Debrief: Home advantage
Despite the shortened nature of the game, Australia still made their mark in some style. They extended their winning run in Brisbane in the process, with this their fifth T20I victory in a row at The Gabba.
On the other side, Babar Azam will have been hoping for a better performance on what was a landmark day for him - he has now made the outright most appearances for Pakistan in T20Is (124), overtaking Shoaib Malik. He also broke the record for the most catches by a fielder in T20Is for Pakistan (52), going past Fakhar Zaman's 50.
Dr Tara Wilkinson-McLean joins ICC Future Leaders Programme
The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) Head of Partner Servicing, Dr Tara Wilkinson McClean has been selected to take part in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Future Leaders Programme and will be engaging in a number of in person and online sessions with other female cricket administrators from around the world over the next 10 months.
Barbados national Dr Wilkinson-McClean has been working with the CPL since 2013 in a number of roles dealing with the tournament’s commercial partners. She was recently promoted to the role of Head of Partner Servicing where she runs a team who deliver sponsorship assets.
Launched in 2021, the Future Leaders Programme has sought to address the underrepresentation of females in leadership positions within cricket by offering online mentorship opportunities for future leaders, pairing them with senior figures to promote and support their career development.
Building on the positive impact of previous editions, the 2024 offering is specifically tailored for female cricket administrators, who are set to benefit from an extended programme duration, where successful candidates will connect in a combination of face-to-face and online learning opportunities.
The course comprises two three-day in-person workshops, supported by project work, mentoring and online masterclasses delivered by former Australia captain and ICC Hall of Famer, Belinda Clark AO.
Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “Tara has been a hugely important part of the CPL team over the last decade and it is fantastic to see her selected for this hugely prestigious ICC initiative. The CPL is very proud of the fantastic female members on our team and it is pleasing to see the ICC investing in the further development of strong cricket administrators like Tara.”
Dr Tara Wilkinson-McClean, Republic Bank CPL’s Head of Partner Servicing, said: “Being selected for the ICC Cricket Future Leaders Programme is a huge honour. Connecting with like-minded women from various arenas on a similar trajectory and being exposed to global leaders in business and sport is a game changer. I would like to thank the ICC for giving me this opportunity and CPL for their overwhelming support for my participation.”
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